Bücher und Barbaren

Legends & Lattes #0

by Travis Baldree, Wolfgang Thon (Translator), Stefan Kaminski (Narrator)

Keks oder Kampf – das ist jetzt die Frage!

Gerade als Ork-Kriegerin Viv mit ihrer Karriere als Söldnerin bei Rackam's Ravens durchstarten will, verletzt sie sich bei einem Kampf und wird von der Crew in der Küstenstadt Murk abgesetzt. Verwundet ist Viv gezwungen, ihr Schwert vorerst beiseitezulegen. Bevor sie sich jedoch langweilen kann, trifft sie auf Fern, die sie in die Welt der Bücher entführt, und somit findet Viv ein neues die Erneuerung des heruntergekommenen Bücherladens. Auch mit der Zwergin und Bäckerin Maylee verbringt Viv immer mehr Zeit. Doch Murk ist nicht die schläfrige Kleinstadt, für die Viv sie gehalten hat – die Gnomin Gallina will Viv um jeden Preis beweisen, dass sie eine gute Kämpferin für Rackam ist, und dann ist da auch noch ein Neuankömmling, der sein Unwesen in der Stadt treibt ...

Beste Cozy Fantasy – herzerwärmend gelesen von Stefan Kaminski.

Genres: Fantasy, Audiobook, Fiction, Cozy, Cozy Fantasy, LGBT, Romance

Audible Audio

First published November 7, 2023

About the author

#1 New York Times Bestselling Author of Legends & Lattes, Bookshops & Bonedust, and Brigands & Breadknives. Audie-winning. Audiobook narrator. Erstwhile game developer. Made Fate, Torchlight & Rebel Galaxy.

Reviews

[Emily (Books with Emily Fox on Youtube) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This hit the spot!

(4.25?) I never thought I would be into cozy fantasy but the first book pleasantly surprised me so I was very excited for the prequel. Younger Viv is left behind in a small town to recover from an injury, makes some friends, a little bit of romance, a little bit of action and there's a bookshop.

I could have read 100 more pages of cozy bookshop tbh.

If you enjoyed the first one, you'll enjoy this one!

[zuza_zaksiazkowane · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ❤️

[Melanie (meltotheany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC provided by Tor - thank you so much !!

Legends & Lattes ★★★★★

oh friends, this is for sure one of the best books of 2023. this first prequel in this adored world won me over even more than legends & lattes itself. this book starts out with viv and rackam (and their mercenary group - the ravens) in battle against a necromancer’s skeleton army! viv has wanted to prove so much these last two months finally being a part of warband, but a leg injury leaves her alone in a small seaside town called murk where she must do a lot of waiting alongside a lot of healing. But she quickly gets to exploring this town, and meeting all the locals and their businesses, and soon enough viv finds many different kinds of adventures that will keep her busy while she waits for rackam to come back for her.

i feel very obliged to make this comparison dot in this review, and it truly means a lot to me and my heart: i started to read this when baldur’s gate 3 was dropping, and i couldn't help but really see the connection of how these characters we are kind of recruiting based on trust and friendship and how these explorations with them feels like discovering this seaside town’s map completely with each new quest. the levels of happiness and comfort and warmth both of these things have given me this year is truly unmatched and both are just something so rare and beautiful that it truly feels like finding the best treasure in all storytelling. but no one, and i mean no one one, is writing the level of imagery that travis baldree is writing. everything is so beautifully described and depicted, with the most exquisite details, that i can see everything so easily in my mind that it is as if larian studios and wizards of the coast is giving me my own personal decision based experience themselves. (nerdy niche bonus: gloomstalker ranger 5, assassin rogue 4, battlemaster fighter 3 is so strong + reminds me of the stealth archer build in skyrim. but maybe next playthrough, i’ll make viv herself because i am feeling very inspired!)

and this town and these characters? oh where do i even begin? a bakery with the most swoon-worthy dwarf, a high elf doctor who will win you over much quicker than he won viv over, an orc carpenter who i personally want to give all the books of poetry to, a gnome rogue who has already stole my heart in legends & lattes, a rattkin bookseller who loves swearing and who is now a forever favorite character for me, and their gryphet who is the cutest owldog i’ve ever read about!

fern (the rattkin bookseller) really felt like a once in a lifetime character for me, because she really embodies the feeling and the power of seeing someone fall in love with books and reading and how special it feels when maybe you played a little part in that. giving book recommendations and discussing books is one of my favorite love languages. i am sure you guys know this about me, but seeing how travis created fern to describe these things in this book really hit me so unexpectedly hard and right in my very heart and soul. and this book perfectly depicts the joy of so many bookish things! like blind date with a book, book signings, even book clubs! we even get to see little parts of the books that viv is reading because of fern’s recommendations and i was obsessed every time! like i said, my new favorite bookseller.

but this book also talks about how there will never be an age limit on figuring out things you want to do in life. there will never be an age limit on things you want to change in life. and how sometimes, we really aren’t at the right place in our lives for something, but that never means that door is shut forever. and if we do decide to close that door and lock it, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the moment of living inside that room for a tiny bit of your life - and that doesn’t make anything lesser, or greater, but it can create happiness and memories that you really can take with you during every adventure in life. and sometimes, if we are lucky enough, a door of friendship that seemed to be behind a locked door, can open once again, along with new joy and new adventures.

i just loved this book completely, and, the epilogue of this book is a six star read all on its own. It made me cry, it made me swoon, it made me kick my feet and giggle uncontrollably. i dont want to give too much away, but if the author is setting up things the way i think he is, i am going to be begging tor every time for an arc because truly this series will probably become my favorite setting of all time. i know this whole review is a big gush, filled with big praise with big words, but i truly do mean them all. this story, these characters, these settings, they deserve all the praise because they truly come together to make something magical that i’ve never read before. me and fern highly recommend this book and all the unapologetic joy that comes along too!

trigger + content warnings: battle, blood, medical care descriptions, pain depiction, stalking, hurt animal, animal death (sheep), captivity, anxiety, nightmares, death, murder (off page), slavery, abandonment in past

blog | instagram | youtube | kofi | spotify | amazon

[Petrik · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided by the publishers—Tor Books & Tor UK—in exchange for an honest review.

Legends and Lattes and Bookshops and Bonedust, Travis Baldree truly knows the secret recipes for crafting wholesome cozy fantasy novels.

“Never trust a writer who doesn’t have too many books to read. Or a reader, for that matter.”

When Legends and Lattes appeared and took over the fantasy landscape early last year, it popularized the cozy fantasy subgenre. Before the surge of romantasy, plenty of fantasy authors rushed to write and publish their respective cozy fantasy novels as soon as possible. The purpose might be to write a wholesome story that resonates with readers. Or maybe they hoped to gain the fame and success Baldree attained from his debut novel. Traditional publishing tends to follow trends, and cozy fantasy was (and is) one of the trends in the market. Whatever the reasons, since the release of Legends and Lattes, I still haven’t found many cozy fantasy books or series that attract my interest as much as Legends and Lattes did. Sure, most of the books I read are serious, grim, or dark in their tone. But occasionally, I would like to have the option to take a break by reading a wonderfully cozy or slice-of-life story when I am in the proper reading mood. This is where Bookshops and Bonedust came in. Written after Legends and Lattes but chronologically taking place two decades before it, this is a prequel novel I didn’t know would be written but grateful to have. The author did not plan to write this prequel, too! And similar to Legends and Lattes, Viv's younger days manage to charm me again.

“So here we are, with a prequel I never intended to write. And I’m happy with it. It says things I want to say, and if I’m lucky, it interlocks with Legends & Lattes in a way that makes both stories better, while still allowing them to stand on their own. I hope it gave you a nice afternoon or three, and that it left you warmer than when you started.”—Travis Baldree

Viv's career with the notorious mercenary company Rackam's Ravens isn't going as planned. Wounded during the hunt for a powerful necromancer, she's packed off against her will to recuperate in the sleepy beach town of Murk—so far from the action that she worries she'll never be able to return to it.

What's a thwarted soldier of fortune to do?

Spending her hours at a beleaguered bookshop in the company of its foul-mouthed proprietor is the last thing Viv would have predicted, but it may be both exactly what she needs and the seed of changes she couldn't possibly imagine.

Picture: Bookshops and Bonedust by Carson Daniel Lowmiller



This is the premise of Bookshops and Bonedust. And I guarantee you whether you have read Legends and Lattes or not will influence your experience of Bookshops and Bonedust, even though this is designed to be a standalone novel in the series as well. Except maybe for the epilogue that would make more sense and impact if you have read Legends and Lattes. But if you have read Legends and Lattes first, there is the possibility the stakes of the plotline will feel even lower than it should be. That is the nature of this book as a prequel. You will know Viv’s fate in Legends and Lattes already, and the dangers she faces in this novel will feel more minimal. Every reader will have a different reaction, but personally, this is a cozy fantasy. Stakes and dangers were never in my mind when I started reading Bookshops and Bonedust. If Legends and Lattes is a story about starting something new, no matter how late it is in your life, then well, Bookshops and Bonedust is about planting the seeds of hope that the change in life is possible.

“We were just discussing a book for someone in particular. A gift. That’s the bookseller’s art, choosing just the right one for the person in question.”

Through meeting the right people at the right time, or maybe the right people at the wrong time, Viv will eventually realize there is more to life than just fighting and killing. And it is through the delight and escapism bestowed by reading great books that she feels this further. Yes, as the title says, many scenes in Bookshops and Bonedust will take place in a second-hand bookshop. And I loved the relationship Viv built with Fern, Potroast, Maylee, and Gallina. Gallina is a supporting character in Legends and Lattes, and I have no doubt we will see Fern, Potroast, and Maylee again in one or two future-to-be-written books in this world. Some readers can argue that writing a fantasy story about finding and savoring the joy of reading is cheating. It goes without saying that readers reading this book and Legends and Lattes will most likely be readers who love reading books. However, reading our unspoken emotions and words written by other authors eloquently, or feelings spoken by characters who feel the same passion about reading, can feel good. I actually think Bookshops and Bonedust had too many battles for a cozy fantasy novel. I wish we had more slice-of-life portions here like Legends and Lattes did. Reading Viv finding pleasure in reading for the first time put a smile on my face, and I wouldn't mind having more of her reading and eating delicious foods.

“Every book is a little mirror, and sometimes you look into it and see someone else looking back.”

It may not be the type of book I read frequently, but Bookshops and Bonedust operates like a charming and comfortable inn, and the employees are full of heart and personality. Pretty much just like Legends and Lattes. Viv took a break from her injury in Murk, and I took a brief break from my intense reading adventures inside Bookshops and Bonedust. Enlightened by Viv’s newfound happiness for reading, I feel recharged to read the next dark fantasy and sci-fi novels I love to read. Baldree has mentioned three more standalone fantasy novels in this series will be written and published, and the first one is slated to be released in 2025. I have no idea how many cozy fantasy novels, in total, there would be in this world, but I will read them all. And if you are reading this review up to here, I recommend you to read this book and Legends and Lattes when you feel like you want to relax and take a break from everything. It always gives me satisfaction when I hear from readers they took my reviews and recommendations into account when they chose which books to read. Even more when they love the book I recommend, and I hope the same notion can be implemented into Bookshops and Bonedust.

“Having you here is connecting me to why I do this. To why I used to love it. I don’t know if I can explain it, but watching you read what I give you, putting a book in your hands and seeing what happens to you once you put it back down . . . I can’t make you understand how that gives me something I didn’t know I had to have.”

You can order this book from: Amazon | Blackwells (Free International shipping)

The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel

Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!

My Patrons: Alfred, Aliysa, Andrew, Andrew W, Annabeth, Arliss, Barbara, Biskit, Brad, Cade, Chris, Cullen, Dan, David, Dernerror, Donna, Donuts, Dylan, Edward, Elaine, Elias, Ellen, Frank, Garrick, Gary, Gregory, Hamad, Helen, Jenn, Jesse, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Kristina, Lara, Lourdes, Luis, Melinda, Michael, Michael, Mike, Miracle, Mordie, Nicholas, Norbert, Radiah, RCT, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Shawn, Tori, Tracy, Trish, TS, Wendy, Wick, Xero, Yuri, Zoe.

[Nicholas Eames · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you liked the first one then hooooooboy, you're gonna love this too.

[Matt's Fantasy Book Reviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

Watch my video review by clicking here.

Lost the wonderful charm of the first book that made it so popular.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘The glow in The Perch dimmed, her corner untouched by the blast of light and heat from the hearth across the room, so she asked for a lantern to read by. The kid obliged, and despite the uncomfortable chair and the ache in her leg and the backwater in which she’d been abandoned, she was absorbed. She was transported. She was elsewhere.’

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree was an absolute delight! This quirky novel blends humour and spookiness in the most unexpected ways. Imagine stumbling upon a dusty old bookshop where the skeletons aren't just in the closets!

Baldree's writing style is effortless and engaging, making it easy to get lost in the story. The characters are charmingly eccentric, and the dialogue is sharp and witty. You'll find yourself chuckling at the clever wordplay and antics of the crew as they navigate the world of books, friendship and beyond.

While the humor is definitely the highlight of the book, Baldree doesn't skimp on the spooky elements either. There's a sense of mystery and suspense that keeps you eagerly turning pages, wondering what supernatural surprises lie in store.

Bookshops & Bonedust was a refreshing and entertaining read that's perfect for anyone who loves a good laugh with a side of spine tingling excitement. A fantastic follow up (prequel) to Legends & Lattes!

So grab yourself a copy, cozy up with your favourite blanket, and get ready for a super cosy adventure unlike any other!

I Highly Recommend.

‘Every book is a little mirror, and sometimes you look into it and see someone else looking back.’

4.5

My review of Legends & Lattes can be found here

[Nikola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tak bardzo nie mogę przestać myśleć o tej książce, że aż zapomniałam odznaczyć.

Jeśli w „Legendach i Latte” zabrakło Wam wartkiej akcji i intryg to „Księgarnie i kosciopył” Wam to dostarczy 🥹
Uwielbiam

[karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

okay, so this has alla the same cozy-feeling themes of food, friendship, and family that made Legends & Lattes so dang comforting, but then it ALSO has a booknerdy readers' advisory angle?

catch me, i'm swooning.

[kytten · Rating 5 out of 5]

First with coffee, now with a bookstore - Travis, you're absolutely spoiling us.
Thank you. 🥹

[carol. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuing his venture into sci-fi cozy reads, Baldree heads into the epitome of readers' favorite places: the bookshop. Taking place early in Viv's career, she's been sidelined in a sleepy town to recover from an injury. Despite being an ogre and a mercenary, she's well-accepted by the locals. As she explores the town, she meets the being who runs the bookshop, as well as another ogre, and a baker. They do their sleepy-town thing and Viv discovers the joy of reading. Eventually, the team comes together help the bookshop owner modernize. Oh, and there's an evil sorcerer lurking in the background, but it never really feels like a threat. It started to feel a little weird when the local famous-but-reclusive author is brought in, but that's a quibble. There is side story involving a relationship that is nicely done, I think. It does manage to maintain it's cozy feel despite the ultimate confrontation.

It's 100% sweet, easy, and goes down about as well as a plate of chocolate-chip cookies and a glass of lactose-free milk.


"Viv feigned offense. “For somebody who was terrified to do this, you’re real brave about handing out rules.”


Also, I feel seen as a medical professional:

"Highlark sighed. “No. I won’t bother dispensing any advice, since I don’t imagine anyone would listen. I’ll just clean and bind the wound and pretend that my expertise is valued.”

[Heather Fawcett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need several more books in which Viv, the battle-hardened but fundamentally decent orc, goes about opening coffee shops and hanging out in bookstores.

Official blurb:

With its immersive worldbuilding and charming characters (Viv, the warrior orc/barista--and now bibliophile--is a new favourite), Bookshops & Bonedust is every bit as delightful as its predecessor. A spellbinding read that somehow manages to be both gripping and restful.

[Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars - This is a pretty darn successful follow up to the smash hit debut that was Legends and Lattes. Was it AS good? No, I think not because the nature of it being a prequel made the stakes even lower than the first book. In the first book, I was invested in Viv building a life for herself, but in this one, I knew she wasn't going to stay so I didn't care as much about her relationships that she was forming. This could have been solved by bringing the letter in the epilogue up as a prologue IMO
With that being said, this was still super charming and fun. I really enjoyed the bookshop element and seeing Viv being totally clueless with Maylee. Very enjoyable and makes me hopeful that the first book was not just a one hit wonder

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

reading vlog: https://youtu.be/pPqZ2dtNlwg

travis baldree is truly iconic wow - THAT EPILOGUE!!!!

[Ricarda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I mean, what's not to love here? Viv falling in love with reading, her helping to save a little bookshop and making new friends in a cozy seaside town. And some necromancy of course. Just lovely.

[Megu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I adored "Legends and Lattes" and I guess it's rather a "me" problem and the book's fault, but there is only a specific amount of "cosy fantasy" that my system can tolerate, and it was saturated with the first installment. I really enjoyed the coffee shop redecoration and coming up with different marketing strategies from the first book, and this "cosy" element is somehow lacking for me in "Bookshops & Bonedust" since, as a bookie, I was expecting more talk about running a bookshop itself, not only reading. Also, it's hard to be hooked on Viv's new relationship when you know it's a prequel, so it cannot last. I don't think it was bad, simply dully mediocre, and I guess I set my standards too high for Baldree's writing after his first smash hit. Nevertheless, the dialogues were funny, I snorted a couple of times and I liked the concept of a reclusive harlequin-like book writer.

[Kristen Christen · Rating 4 out of 5]

You MUST have a warm beverage and soft blanket when reading this book. Cozy fireplace ambiance youtube video optional, but highly recommended.
I am pretty sure both Legends and Lattes and Bookshops and Bonedust unlocked in me a love for cozy fantasy. The stakes are low and the cozy vibes are HIGH! In this particular book we are watching a bookstore that has seen better days return to it's former glory. Is there anything better? I don't think so.

[Magdalena Miękińska (getbooky) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25

[Jonah Evarts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fucking crying. How.

[Anna Bartłomiejczyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

> Legendy i Latte

[toointofiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

“If there are that many books people don’t want, though, then what’s the use in having them around?”

“They’re books. You don’t just throw them away.”

📍Release Date: 9 November 2023


This is genuinely the most pure and wholesome series I've ever read. There's nothing to overanalyze or stress over. It's just a sweet small-town story, full of adorable characters, just a dabble of romance, and a cozy mystery to keep things a little more interesting. I even cried a little at the end. To be perfectly honest, though, it isn't a perfect story. Similar to the first one, a large part of it is a little slow and dull. Nothing of significance happens other than a few sightings of the mystery man in gray, a possible romance brewing, and Viv's new-found love of books. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed it immeasurably.

Moreover, Viv is as sweet as always, even as a younger and more reckless girl. Even though she is sullen and grumpy because her injury left her out of commission, she still makes the most of it. She befriends several of the townspeople, discovers a love of books, and has a sweet summer fling. She also finds a little mystery to solve after a man in gray appears in town and makes people uneasy. It's clear that Viv's kindness and good nature attract people despite her imposing demeanor. Even those who don't like her at first.

Finally, as I've already mentioned, everyone in Murk, the small town Viv is stranded in, is full of adorable people. One of them is Fern, the bookstore owner, and Viv's first friend. She is my favorite character. She is the one who invited Viv into the cult that is literature and shows her where true happiness lies: books. She also cusses all the time, barely reaches Viv's knee, and has an adorable pet gryphet named Potroast (see cover for reference). She ticks all my boxes. Besides, Satchel a magical assistant of sorts, is my other favorite character. He has those gentleman/butler vibes that I have always found adorable which is why I loved him the minute he appeared on the page.

My other favorite character is Maylee, a talented baker and Viv's paramour for the summer. She is a dwarf, so, just like Fern, she barely reaches Viv's knee and keeps feeding everyone pastries. I wish I had a girlfriend that fed me pastries all the time. Last but not least, Gallina, Viv's friend from the first book, is also in Murk and we get to find out how the two of them met and what their relationship was like before they teamed up.

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 2 out of 5]

I knew I probably shouldn't have bothered picking up this book since I was so bored and unimpressed by Legends & Lattes, but several people told me they liked this one more, so I decided to give it a chance. Unfortunately, I only somewhat enjoyed the first half of this prequel, and once it hit about the halfway point, I stopped being even remotely compelled to continue.

Most of my issue seems to be with the writing, because I found the characters very flat (which was also an issue I had with L&L), but the final straw for me was the forced inclusion of a romance. If you've read Legends & Lattes, you can already assume how this book will end, and while I can sometimes get behind a "temporary" romance with a pre-determined expiration date like this one, it didn't work for me at all in this scenario. It made me feel like every scene between Viv and the love interest was crammed in for filler material and I was beyond bored.

I wish I could love this series the way everyone else seems to, but I guess I need to accept being the odd one out here. Ah, well.

Thank you to the publisher and LibroFM for the audio review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.

✨ Representation: sapphic MC and side character

✨ Content warnings for: violence, death, injury, medical content

———
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[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so good! This was a fun and heart warming cozy fantasy about friendship, first love, finding happiness in helping others and finding your purpose in life. Bookshops and Bonedust is the prequel to Legends and Lattes which follows Viv, an Orc who is injured after a hunt and her group sends her to Murk, a beach town to heal. While in Murk she meets new friends who she helps in many ways and faces a new enemy as well.

It took me a little while to become invested in this story, but once I did I couldn't leave this wonderfully crafted world. The pacing was inconsistent in the beginning, but quickly picked up in the middle and end. This book had wonderful cozy vibes, although I didn't feel the same magic I did in the first book. I loved the bookshop in the book, it reminded me why I fell in love with libraries and bookstores. I loved the inclusion of fantasy characters in this book such as orcs, dwarves, necromancers, elves and gnomes. I also appreciated that this book had a queer relationship and all of the characters were welcoming. I loved the characters, they are each unique and complex. I love Viv, she is strong, kind, helpful, brave, and persistent. I really liked Maylee and Fern, they are both so sweet and have a big heart. I related to Fern because I love reading too and I enjoy recommending books to people. I liked Satchel (an animated skeleton) a great deal, he is smart, funny, quirky, and helpful. The interactions between the characters were so wholesome and made me smile a lot. The ending was exciting and the epilouge was very heartwarming!

I recommend this book to anyone who loves cozy fantasy, great characters and wants a fun read.

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
Video Review: https://youtu.be/8VKj00tz9b0

This is another cute companion entry in the series that started with Legends and Lattes. As expected, this story was cozy.

I wish the story had a little more meat because I prefer stories with a little heavier plot. Yet, as an escapist, easy read this book succeeded in what it was trying to accomplish.

I would recommend this one to readers looking for a nice pallet cleanser between grimdark fantasy and other depressing reads.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

[Culturomaniaczka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Z całego serca polecam każdemu!!!
Idealna dla młodszych i starszych!!!!
Cała seria jest jak kocyk na serduszko 🫶🏼
I love it 🩷

[William Gwynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Needed a palette cleanser in audiobook format, so where better to turn to than the prequel to Legends & Lattes, narrated by Travis Baldree himself!

Want some cosy fantasy? The this is for you. We follow the orc, Viv, from Legends & Lattes once again as she discovers coffee for the first time, and also spends a lot of time with books... two things you don't usually see when the main character is an orc mercenary .

The prose is smooth, the dialogue witty, the characters distinct. It is most definitely not epic, but there are still high stakes in the intimate story we are given, and this offers a satisfying ending to an engaging read. It really does freshen the reading experience because of how random and different it is.

If you enjoyed Legends & Lattes, you will really enjoy this. If you need a palette cleanser, then I think this is for you as well!

[Jan Agaton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Tor for sending me an eARC this early before its release!
so sad this wasn't 5 stars. i literally dont want to anticipate books ever again but i cant stop lol. it was a fun time, but i simply wanted more cozy vibes, less fantasy plot the way Legends & Lattes was, but I very much enjoyed the epilogue and the cute bookishness!

[Library of a Viking · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely worth a read!

Travis Baldree knows how to write cosy fantasy! Bookshops and Bonedust is a brilliant prequel that focuses on Viv and her journey as she falls in love with READING! What I loved about this book is that the plot is much more intricate.

I still prefer Legends and Lattes but this was a delight!

I may or may not write a longer review!

4/5

[Elizabeth (Plant Based Bride) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Included in a reading vlog where I continue 5 star series: https://youtu.be/UBim4eK1W3Y

Written review on the way!

[mina reads™️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story that has no business being 300+ pages.

As the follow up to his cozy fantasy smash hit Legends and Lattes, Baldree takes us back to Viv's youth as a young mercenary. Once injured on a job she finds herself on a forced sabbatical in a sleepy beachside town where she befriends the local bookseller and discovers a love a reading. This was all very well and good. I like Viv she's a kind woman, and seeing her help Fern's business flourish was very sweet. However, was it 300 pages worth of sweet? I found the beginning nice and entertaining but as we approached the halfway mark I was forced to realize that I didn't care very much for any of the characters or the setting. While I understand the point of illustrating how important certain chapters in your life can be even if you know your time with that place is fleeting, it is still worth experiencing to the fullest, a sweet message to be sure.

But as a reader I really did struggle to invest at all particularly because of the time limit imposed on all the relationships Viv was forming. It just diminished the feel-goodness of the story for me. It's a bittersweet intentionally so I'm not saying it's wrong for having done that but I think ultimately I just struggled to care after a while knowing that there was no reason to get invested and that there's no stakes to the conflicts that arose because I know where Viv ends up down the line. I think I would have enjoyed this more as a quick 150 page novella. 336 pages was a bit too much for me.

2.75 stars.